Petroleum dealers' strike may result in fuel shortage in city

The city may run short of fuel tomorrow and on November 15 as the West Bengal Petroleum Dealers' Association has called a strike to protest against the rising expenditure and declining profit margin.
The Association's move is part of a nationwide strike called by the All India Petroleum Dealers' Association (AIPDA).
As part of their continued agitation demanding change in dealers' commission formula, around 3,000 petrol pumps in West Bengal, including 53,500 across the country has decided to go in for a strike on November 15.
"We are doing business on a very low margin and it is difficult to manage expenses. Our business is at stake at the moment. We want to increase the profit margin, which is our major demand.

"Tomorrow we will not procure fuel oil marketing companies (OMCs) and on November 15, we will neither buy nor sell fuel... This may trouble customers, but we have no other options. If issues are not resolved, many of us have to leave the trade," state Association president Tushar Kanti Sen told reporters here today.
Incidentally, petrol pumps on October 19 and 26 undertook a token "blackout" protest for 15 minutes from 7PM.
"Tomorrow we will sell fuel till stocks last. But generally a day's stock does not last long, This might cause a dry spell in the second half of the day," Sen said.

"All petrol pumps would be closed. This will leave 3,000-odd pumps shut on November 3 and 15. In Kolkata, nearly 180 petrol pumps will be participating in the protest.